Estonian Presidency reaches provisional deal on emissions

On 21 December, representatives of the Estonian Presidency and the European Parliament reached a provisional deal on the effort sharing regulation to ensure further emission reductions in sectors falling outside the scope of the EU emissions trading system.

This agreement is expeted to be analysed by EU ambassadors this month and requires endorsement by member states to fulfill the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in 2030. This is an important set of rules to comply with, given that the transport sector accounts for more than one quarter of all emissions, according to the European Environment Agency.

The new regulation sets out binding national targets and puts in place the necessary framework for effort sharing in multiple sectors, such as buildings, agriculture, waste management, industry and, of course, transport (excluding aviation and shipping).